producer  T o m  A t w o o d

According to the Pew Research Center, 20 million kids between the ages of 12 and 17 use the Internet, almost 87% of all US teens. Of those, 60% say they have been contacted online by a stranger. Almost half (45%) of teens have used the Internet to post or send personal photos. In addition, new research shows the Internet is a growing gathering place for “marginalized” teens engaged in self-injury and other harmful practices. In these online communities, such behavior is often normalized.

There is no doubt that the Internet can be a useful tool for research and education. But it can also be frightening for parents whose teenagers spend hours online each day. Experts say it is up to parents to help keep kids safe by establishing and enforcing rules about Internet usage.

“You know, this thing about ‘kids need their privacy’ is bogus,” says Carole Doyle, a detective who specializes in Internet crimes. Doyle says it is as important for parents to know where there kids are in the virtual world as it is in the real world.